California Institute of the Arts: Admission 2025-26, Rankings, Fees & Acceptance Rate at CalArts

About

The California Institute of the Arts, also known as CalArts, is a top-end private University in Valencia, California, USA. CalArts was the first University in the United States to confer degrees to candidates seeking quality education in the Visual and Performing Arts. CalArts offers 70-plus degree programmes such as Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Musical Arts. The campus hosts more than 1500 students in any given year, out of which roughly 400 come from abroad.

What is the acceptance rate at the California Institute of the Arts?

The California Institute of the Arts acceptance rate is 29%.

CalArts was founded by none other than Walt Disney in 1961. It is currently ranked #375 in the Most Popular US Colleges and Universities list for overseas students as per College Factual. Students from more than 30 countries study at CalArts, and around 10 Indian students were pursuing their studies at CalArts in 2019.

Top Reasons to Study in the California Institute of the Arts

Indian students who are willing to take the plunge and join an elite institution to pursue studies in the artistic genre should apply at CalArts without having any second thoughts.

College Rank placed CalArts at #3 in the 20 Best Animation Schools and Degree Programmes list in 2022.
The growth rate of Indian students at CalArts has been at 20.4% over the last few years.
International students constitute about 24% of the student body.

Admissions

Avg acceptance rate (Bachelors)

29%

Application Fee

$65 - $85

How to Apply at California Institute of the Arts

Candidates should note that Admissions at CalArts take place via the online mode.
The CalArts application fee is fixed for international admissions at USD 65 (INR 4990) for undergraduate courses and USD 85 (INR 6526) for graduate courses.
Once the student has applied, the next step of the CalArts admissions procedure is to upload the prescribed documents.

Documents Required to Apply to California Institute of the Arts

Although specific requirements exist for courses, international students need to present the following:

College Transcripts.
School- leaving certificate.
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or University.
Affidavit of financial support.
Financial statements (in English and US dollars).
Health insurance is not mandatory but recommended (for international students).
Essay responses.
Statement of Purpose.
Resume.
Letters of Recommendation.
Copy of Passport (for international students).

Exams Accepted By California Institute of the Arts

The following examinations are accepted as part of California Institute of the Arts admission requirements.

Admissions
For UG and PG	IELTS ( Minimum scores: 6.5 for UG, 7 for PG) TOEFL (Minimum score: 80 in iBT for UG, 100 in iBT for PG)
For UG	ACT (Minimum score: 1010) / SAT (Minimum score: 24)
For PG	Valid Bachelor's degree Minimum GPA 3.34

Campus Life

Number of campuses the university has
1

Campus locations
California

Transportation in the city

CalArts is located in the Valencia neighbourhood, Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, California. The administration runs a free shuttle bus service for CalArts students. The shuttle service connects the main campus with the Valencia Town Center. Students get to avail this service with a valid ID card.

Services offered by the university

CalArts engages in various services to enhance the student's overall experience.

The CalArts Library gives students access to more than 100,000 resources that go a long way in enhancing their education.
The Student Health Centre (SGC) looks after the primary health issues of all registered students.
CalArts hosts Campus-Hiring fairs where top companies, both domestic and foreign, hire CalArts graduates.

Student life at California Institute of the Arts

CalArts ensures that its students get the best campus life experience during their study years.

CalArts has a strong Student Union that oversees club activities on the campus, catering to its students' wide range of interests. Meditation Club, The Troupe, and the Chinese Cinema Club are three of the most popular clubs at CalArts.
CalArts has a basketball court and a couple of lawn tennis courts, which remain open to students from 6 am to 10 pm.
The Sports Office at CalArts provides students with Baseball, Basketball, Croquet, and Tennis equipment.

On campus accomodation at California Institute of the Arts

CalArts has on-campus housing facilities. Every registered student at CalArts is eligible to avail of accommodation facilities on the campus after fulfilling specific requirements. CalArts helps all its students to find a suitable place through well-documented on-campus housing facilities. The Residence Life Office looks after the basic needs of all the students living on campus. It recommends the first-come,first-serve approach while granting living space for its students.

CalArts has an on-campus housing accommodation system divided into two separate components. The Chouinard Hall takes care of the housing needs of all the undergraduate students. The Ahmanson Hall, on the other hand, caters to the housing requirements of third and fourth undergraduate as well as graduate students.The average housing fee is around USD 900 (INR 69,105) for each semester.

Faculty

University Faculty Stats

The average faculty-to-student ratio at CalArts is 1:7, ranging from 1:6 in the Dance course to 1: 14 in the Critical Studies course. Presided over by Ravi S. Rajan, CalArts has a faculty strength of almost 363, employed full-time and part-time.

Career Opportunities

University Endowments Value

234400000

Internship opportunities at California Institute of the Arts

CalArts provides a host of internship opportunities to its students. The Center for Life and Work at CalArts handles matters related to student internships. All international students are eligible to apply for internship opportunities via the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) module. The faculty members assist students in getting either a paid internship or an unpaid internship. All students are advised by University officials to regularly check the portal Compass@CalArts Job Board, available on the CalArts official website, for a new job and internship avenues. The practice of on-campus hiring is also prevalent at CalArts. While domestic student employees can work 25 hours per week, the limit is 20 hours for international students. During academic breaks, this limit may increase for all students.

Placement of California Institute of the Arts

A CalArts graduate's average cumulative base salary is USD 72,000 (55,28,412 INR) per annum. A Senior Graphic Designer who has passed out from CalArts receives an average pay package of USD 84,973 (INR 65,24,524), whereas a UX Designer gets about USD 85,500 (INR 65,64,989) annually. Similarly, an Art Director earns an average of USD 100,000 (INR 76,78,350); a graphic designer is paid around USD 45,800 (INR 35,16,684). The top companies that hire CalArts graduates regularly would include Business Insider, which spends around USD 67,500 (INR 51,82,886) per annum, Native Instruments, which delivers a compensation amounting to USD 135,000 (INR 1,03,65,772) & Tic Toc, which could pay up to USD 95,000 (INR 72,94,432) to CalArts graduates.